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It’s Time to “Strap Up” With the Bears Defense and Other Bullets

On the latest episode of Talkin’ Toros, Myles shares an epic rant on Dwyane Wade, Adam says smart things about the Raptors’ role players getting off early, and I share which team and fan base I would never play for under any circumstance. This might be my favorite episode. Check it out! Also, if you like the Bulls, we now cover the Bulls here at Bleacher Nation! I’ll be doing some writing over there, myself. So, you know. Go Bulls.

Now Bears stuff.

A Mic’d Up Danny Trevathan has me geeked up about what the Chicago Bears defense can bring in 2019:

Does the regression monster even have a chance when this guy is roaming in the middle of the Bears defense? I don’t think so.

Lining up across from Mack is Leonard Floyd, who appeared primed to break out before the game-changing deal brought an All-Pro rusher to play along side him in Chicago. Instead, Floyd suffered a preseason hand injury that limited him early in the season. But Floyd picked up the pace once he was healthy and flashed down the stretch. Ted Monachino, his new position coach, believes Floyd “has a bigger toolbox” than anyone on the team (which is saying a lot because Khalil Mack is still employed by the Bears) and is ready to unleash it because of his athleticism. “There’s a whole bunch of guys that are great hammers and guys that have the pass-rush gene that have that dominant trait,” Monachino explained to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain. “This is a rare athlete for the position. I’ve coached a bunch of good ones. I’ve coached big ones, I’ve coached smart ones, I’ve coached fast ones. I’ve never coached an athlete like this.”

Floyd wasn’t a top-10 pick for no reason. He has desirable physical and athletic traits that project to be a high-end pass-rusher at this level. It was always going to be a work in progress for Floyd. But after spending years piecing it together, it’s about time for him to bring it all in and unleash it on the opposition. If he can do that, then it’s going to be danger time for opposing quarterbacks in the NFC.

From one Georgia product to another, linebacker Roquan Smith solidified the middle of the Bears defense last year, but is just scratching the surface. JJ Stankevitz (NBC Sports Chicago) caught up with two Bears defensive coaches to get a feel for what Smith will bring to the table in 2019. In short, things are going quite well for the second-year linebacker. Smith is leaving strong impressions during the offseason training program, with new Bears Inside Linebackers Coach Mark DeLeone raving about how fast he plays the game. As for Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano, he kept it simple: “The guy doesn’t make mistakes.”

On the back end of things, Pagano puts a ridiculous comp on Eddie Jackson as he admits to seeing former pupil Ed Reed in the Bears’ All-Pro safety. “From a talent standpoint? Very, very similar,” Pagano told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Great instincts. Great range. Great ball skills. He’s only three years into it. Ed has a lot more time on task, obviously. He’s got a lot of the same traits. He loves football. He’s a football junkie. And again, the sky’s the limit for a guy like that.”

Pagano coached Reed in Baltimore, and coached with Reed as recently as this past January. In that being, it would’ve been fun to add Reed to this coaching staff and allow him to put his hands on Jackson. But as we all know, you can’t get everything you want.

Look, the concept of regression is real — there is no denying it. HOWEVER, that demon won’t have much of a chance if Smith and Floyd can take their respective games to the next level this season, or if Mack and Jackson maintain their excellent levels of play. Bring it on!

And to think, Mack did all that damage last year without the benefit of working through OTAs and training camp. As Rich Campbell (Chicago Tribune) points out, Mack believes a full dose of offseason workouts will have him lined up for an even better season than the one he put together last year. Opposing offenses should be shaking in their cleats.

Nice to see the guys having some fun at Halas Hall:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByGAER3l-8L/

The Tribune’s list of top-100 Bears players begins with long-snapper Patrick Mannelly. I can imagine Mannelly being a controversial inclusion in some circles because — c’mon, he’s a long snapper! But his 245 games played in a Bears uniform are the most in franchise history, which can’t be overlooked. Also, we never had to once worry about a long snapper throughout the duration of his 16-year career. I suppose there is something valuable in not having to worry about a snap getting to a holder or punter, which isn’t something every team can say.

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